Key defender Steven May is set to miss the crucial Queen's Birthday match against Collingwood following a club-imposed ban after a 'scuffle' with a teammate.
Melbourne released information that stipulated May was having dinner with Jake Melksham and other players on Sunday evening, before the altercation happened between the two veterans at a Prahran restaurant.
Demons football boss Alan Richardson said the argument was lighthearted but escalated, in what was a disappointing outcome, especially given the back-to-back losses.
"Both Jake and Steven had been drinking at dinner and are incredibly remorseful that things played out the way they did," Richardson said.
"Given Steven is still under the AFL concussion protocols from Round 11, he was aware that under club guidelines he should not have been drinking.
"The leadership group has recommended to impose a one-match ban on Steven, a decision which has been endorsed by the club's broader leadership. This will make him unavailable for both AFL and VFL selection.
"Steven and Jake will also complete community service through one of the club's community partners to ensure they understand the responsibility and impact they have as role models within the community."
May poses as one of the most significant players in the Demon side, with his injury (concussion) almost a correlation to consecutive losses in the past fortnight, alluding to his importance.
"Over the past three years, Steven has developed into one of our most important on-field leaders and while the impact of not having him available for selection is significant, what is more significant to us is our culture and the commitment we have to live by our values," Richardson said.
"Steven is extremely remorseful and accepts his actions were completely out of step with the expectations the club and his teammates have of him. He accepts the sanction handed down and makes no excuse for his poor judgement.
"We are proud of our culture we have built over the past few years and while we are disappointed with Steven's behaviour, we back in his character and will support him to ensure he is armed to make better decisions for himself and the football club moving forward."
Melbourne face an in-form Collingwood, who have taken scalps of Fremantle and Carlton in recent times, and look to the Big Freeze to cause an upset.
May's absence has been felt, with the Demons going down to Fremantle by 38 points and backed that performance up by falling short against the Swans by 12 points.
The Queen's Birthday clash has been a staple on the AFL calendar, with the eighth edition of the FightMND taken place on June 13.
